China’s ambassador to Washington, Xie Feng has adopted a less assertive approach than some of his predecessors.

On 20 January, Xie Feng, China’s ambassador to the United States, appeared at Donald Trump’s second inauguration, accompanying Vice-President Han Zheng.

Beyond this brief moment in the spotlight, however, Xie has kept a lower profile during Trump’s second term, in stark contrast to his predecessors Cui Tiankai and Qin Gang, who actively engaged American audiences to counter negative perceptions of China.

At events such as the 2024 Harvard Kennedy School China Conference, despite facing pro-Tibetan protests, he maintained a composed demeanour, emphasising modernisation and co-operation rather than confronting his critics directly, a sharp contrast to Qin’s more combative approach.

Xie’s style aligns more closely with Cui, China’s longest-serving ambassador to the US, who was known for his measured, professional approach.

Cui, who served as ambassador between 2013 and 2021, adeptly navigated turbulence during the Barack Obama era and Trump’s first term, actively engaging US officials and lawmakers, media and think-tanks, while forging personal ties with the Trump family.

Highly regarded in both Beijing and Washington, Cui was viewed as a skilled communicator and an interlocutor who understood American politics.

He stood in contrast to many more assertive Chinese diplomats, including Qin, whose  abrupt dismissal as foreign minister in 2023 just months into the job is believed to have made many diplomats more cautious about their public activities.

Since Trump’s return to the White House, Xie has been markedly quieter, with a noticeable reduction in his public activities and media interviews and a focus on low-key cultural and academic events.

His efforts have shifted to “subnational ties”, such as meetings with mayors and governors, cultural diplomacy and people-to-people exchanges, reflecting Beijing’s cautious approach towards Trump.

At an embassy event celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival on Friday (30 May), Xie said Taiwan and mainland China were bound by blood, culture and history , adding: “No one can sever the bond of blood and kinship, stop the historical trend of national reunification.”

He also denounced “anti-China forces” in the US for backing “Taiwan independence” movements, warning of threats to Taiwan Strait stability.

The United States, in common with most countries, does not recognise Taiwan as independent, but opposes any attempts to seize the island by force and is legally bound to provide arms to help it defend itself.

The ambassador also condemned Trump’s tariffs, accusing them of disrupting global supply chains, and lashed out at Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s abrupt announcement that Chinese student visas would be suspended.

But despite these criticisms, Xie maintained a measured tone, advocating dialogue and co-operation to address the mounting challenges in US-China relations.

This restrained approach was evident in some of his other activities this year. At a reception to celebrate Lunar New Year, Xie looked back at the co-operation between China and the US in World War II and called for a renewed “spirit of partnership to tackle global challenges” – a plea he has repeated on other occasions.

His change of style and focus on building goodwill have coincided with a broader, collective shift among Chinese diplomats, who have largely tried to dial back the assertive diplomacy that has strained ties with China’s neighbours.

China’s close relationship with Russia, and its activities in the South China Sea, have also triggered an international backlash, and the shift may indicate a strategic recalibration in Beijing’s approach to global engagement, particularly in response to Trump’s unpredictability and disruptive actions.

It is also in line with President Xi Jinping’s efforts to repair China’s international image. Xie admitted two years ago that it was hard to find China-friendly voices in the US, saying that they were “hiding in the darkness afraid of being crushed” and his priority was to “seek them out”.

Beyond its domestic priorities of securing trade and investment, Beijing also needs to project a responsible image to appeal to developing nations in the Global South, especially as Trump’s America withdraws from global leadership.

And there is little doubt that internal political dynamics, including the 2023 removal of Qin as foreign minister for reasons that have not been explained, have reinforced caution among diplomats, aligning them more closely with Xi’s centralised control.

While such a restrained approach helps soften China’s image and counter the US-led decoupling efforts, limited media and public engagements by frontline diplomats risk ceding narrative control to China’s critics.

It remains to be seen how effective Xie’s quieter diplomacy, prioritising dialogue over confrontation, can be in preventing a head-on collision between the world’s top two economies.

“With confidence and capability, China is prepared to face turbulent challenges,” Xie said last week. “No storm is too strong, no destination unreachable.”

Republished from South China Morning Post, 3 June 2025

The views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.